some of my antique pieces!

[funky_pearl]

hi everyone! i was going though some of my older stuff and thought i would post some! the pin is sterling mikimoto (couldnt for the life of me get a clear shot of the little m in a shell halmark!) and the necklace is from the princesse pearl company (which i'd never heard of before!) i love that the necklace came in its original box. i'm not really sure how old they both are, i'm guessing 1950's-60's? is it safe to the pearls on the necklace to have the pin rubbing up against them like that? or should i have it made into an enhancer? i posted a ton of pictures, hope you enjoy!

 

[GemGeek]

As long as you only wear the pearl strand with the pin, it shouldn't matter, right? The pin looks terrific on the necklace and both look great on YOU.

 

[funky_pearl]

aw, thanks gemgeek! i think the necklace started it's life as one of those add a pearl strands!

 

[GemGeek]

Are the holes big? I know that they start out as a chain and yours is knotted and the pearls are very well-matched.

 

[juliebeth]

those are gorgeous! LOVE the princesse box! what a treasure!

 

[funky_pearl]

...nope, the holes are normal sized so i guess it started it's life as a completed necklace. makes sense the holes need to be larger to fit a chain! i saw on the princesse pearl website that they sell add a pearl necklaces so i just assumed thats what mine started out as! yes, they are very well matched, i love it... i never thought i would be a fan of graduated strands

 

[Marianne]

Love that pin

 

[BAS]

Graduated strands are very pretty -- and especially lovely on younger necks that can wear smaller pearls beautifully (in my opinion). Your necklace is beautiful on you. Wear it in health!

 

[pattye]

What a graceful pin and versatile necklace! Good to know Miki's are done in sterling silver also. Classy and beautiful with the earrings, too! The box is charming~agree, probably from 50-60's. A luxury back then, for sure.

 

[funky_pearl]

thanks juliebeth, marianne, bas and pattye! does anyone know how i can polish up the tarnished silver pin without hurting the pearls? i don't want to use anything too harsh....

 

[pattye]

Well, polishing silver around pearls is always tricky. I don't know of any safe "dips" that will remove tarnish without harming the pearls. You might see if a sunshine cloth or other type of dry jewelry polishing cloth would help. These should remove some of the tarnish and bring a nice sheen to the silver. Many like the patina of old silver, though, so over polishing might take away the charm of the piece. It looks like you could polish the sprays and leaves without damage to the pearls. The brooch may originally have had patina to highlight details of the leaves.

Gently wiping the pearls with a soft damp cloth when you are finished polishing the silver part would ensure any residue from the polish is removed from them.

Did these pieces belong to a family member? Is there a story that goes with them?

 

[funky_pearl]

thanks pattye, i was thinking about carefully using a polishing cloth. i'll give it a shot later, theres a few spots that are darker than others on the silver. as far as the story behind both pieces, your guess is as good as mine! they are both ebay finds! i like to rescue lovely things from being scraped the pin was in a lot and they didn't notice or know what the mikimoto halmark was for and the necklace someone was selling as costume! i stick to the antique stuff on ebay and have found some nice pieces, i like to imagine what their previous lives were like!

 

[pattye]

Aww, I like the idea of jewelry rescue! (That could be a fun new topic!) Perhaps you could show before and after photos of the pin? We do get questions about polishing silver and pearl pieces.

 

[juliebeth]

you know, i bet you could just use a soft cloth (or even a soft toothbrush) and plain ol' toothpaste (not baking soda, not whitening, not tartar control, etc.) to carefully rub/scrub the tarnish from the silver, so long as you don't rub/scrub the pearls much or at all. the toothpaste won't hurt the pearls if it touches them. just be careful not to submerge the entire thing in water when rinsing, and let the strand and pin dry fully before putting away.

i wouldn't use this method frequently, however. just the first time, to get rid of all built-up gunk, and then sunshine cloth or something thereafter.

 

[funky_pearl]

i used warm water and a very soft bristled toothbrush, then cleaned them with one of the little kits that came with one of my PP necklaces. i think they came out cleaner and brighter!i also tried to clean up another antique ebay piece i own, i think they are baroque akoyas? i'm going to my jeweler's to have them made into proper post earrings this afternoon, the screwbacks give me headaches! i don't know how ladies wore them all day!

 

[Caitlin]

It is a very special necklace with that pin!

Do I see some gaps between some of the pearls? If so, it could be a good idea to restring it or send it somewhere like Pearl Paradise to restring it.

 

[GemGeek]

Cute earrings - how cool to get them converted!

 

[funky_pearl]

thanks caitlin! and yes, it is very loose and could use a restringing, i really need to learn how to!

 

[SunSeeker]

Look the combination! It's a nice look! I also like the idea of jewelry rescue!